The Osceola times., 1887-04-30
AN EXPRESS ROBBERY.
What Prevented It From Being O
Complete Success.

There has never been n time since
express messengers were intrusted with
sums of money when they have not
been conspircd against by bad men.
The number of those who have been
killed or wounded in the line of duty
would make a startling record. Now
and then one has gone wrong and has
landed himself in State prison. but for
every such case hundreds have proved
their sterling integrity against all
temptations.
About twenty years ago had n run
rs express messenger west from Chicago
for several hundred miles. The amount
of money passing to and fro was very
large, end there were occasions when
the run east almost made n millionaire
of me for the time being. While the
orders to express messengers were not
30 stringent then the fear of robbery
was just as great, and we were provided
with stout safes and firearms, and eau
toned to never relax our vigilance
The cars which ! occupied were prop
crly the baggage cars, though l had
about third of the space divided off
by pine partition. There was door
in this partition which was supposed
10 keep locked at all times, but when
we got out on the road, and my work
wa all in hand this door used to
nearly always stand open. The bag
gageman was allowed to come into the
little room, and in turn would enter
his part, and sit on the trunks and
chat with him. The idea that the rail-
road hands would ever have designs on
the express money never entered any
body's head More than once | left
the baggageman in charge of from
$40, ZOO to $4,000 while | went to a
meal in the railroad restaurant.
For over a year, on the run east, |
had a baggageman with whom ] could
chum in all things, end | should have
had no fear to hand him the keys of
the safe. He met with an accident.
and then one man and another had his
place until four came and went inside
of six months. The fifth man liked
least of all. Perhaps this was because
he seemed to make a dead set to secure
my good will and confidence. He was
full of ilattery, overwilling to offer his
assistance and spend his money; but
this conduct had an opposite effect on
me from what he intended. While |
could not suspect that he had a wicked
motive in his actions. | took a dislike
to him and had to force myself to treat
him with civilty He was all right
with the conductor and brakcmen, how
ever, and ! heard the engineer and
fireman agree that he was capital
good fellow.
Ii was, of course, against the rules
of the road to pass deadheads in the
baggagc-car, but after this man. who
went by the name of Peter McCabc,
had been out for three or four weeks
there was hardly run that he did not
have some deadhead with him. The
conductor must have been on to him.
but he made no objections. These
dcadheads We're not unfortunates. but
invari bly, well-dressed, and seeming
TO have plenty Of funds. They looked
to me like tough characters. and my
respect for the honesty and morality of
the baggageman was not n whit in
creased. lie never introduced any of
them TO me, but afterwards remem-
bered how closely they sized me up
and inspected my end of the car. Me-
(fak. h,1 l.,.,,, th,. al.,nt
months, when, one evening at seven
O'Clock as we pulled out of the depot
for the run east. two men got into the
baggage-car with him. They were
cautious about it. getting on in the
yards after the train was clear of the
building. When | came to see them
by the light in the car discovered that
both Of them had been over the road
with him before--not together. but
sngly and 1T intervals. There was
nothing in their appearance or conduct
Ia arouse suspicion, however, and
they gave me not the least attention. |
had my way-blls to check up and par
GELS to put away, and this kept me busy
for the first half hour.
All the money going as far as Chicago
was placed at the bottom of the safe.
That to be handed ont en- route was at
the top on this occasion only three
packages were to be delivered before
reaching Chicago, and as they con-
tanned less than 800 each laid them
on the shelf, locked the safe and put the
key in my pocket. We had made three
stops and had come to run of eight
miles without station, when looked
up and noticed the three men with their
heads together. 1t was a suspicious
thing only when came to look back
upon IT, Of the eight-,nile stretch there
were Eve miles Of springy track where
the sperd n NE train aad 70 b. rsduced